The assessment details for the module are provided on the module Canvas site as well as below. It is important that you understand the assessment task, assessment criteria and grading descriptors and so please do ask your Module Leader for clarification if required.

The submission date for this module is Thursday 12th December 4pm. I strongly advise that you submit 3 hours in advance of the deadline.

Employee Relations formative assignment 2019 / 20 (does not count towards your module grade but will gain you valuable feedback) email directly to j.kellie@hull.ac.uk

You are invited to submit a 500 word outline of your intended research topic as selected from the options below the submission date for this is Tuesday 5th November

Summative Assessment (Thursday Dec 12th before 4pm)

Employee Relations Summative Assignment 2019 / 20

Choose one of the following topics to produce a 4,500 word essay assignment. (weighting 100% of module grade)

1. Research an organisation/sector/industry of your choosing and consider the means and extent to which employees have a voice in the workplace through individualised and/or collectivised means. Critically evaluate the factors that explain the existence or non-existence of the representation of employee interests in the workplace? What key changes do you detect in employee representation processes in the post war period until now and how can these changes be explained?

2. Research an aspect of the labour market with regard to either gender, or ethnicity, or age. Critically evaluate the factors which contribute to the persistence of patterns of inequality in the workplace. What are the explanations of this? How successful have legal, managerial and TU interventions been in addressing these inequalities and what current labour market developments hold back progress? Analyse the ‘balance of power’ prospects going forward for the group on which you are focussing?

3. Research two trade unions of your choosing. What are their roles and functions for the sector of employees that they represent and how and why have these changed in the post war period until now? Critically evaluate their sources of influence and power and what challenges do they face and why? How successful are they in defending the employees they represent and critically evaluate the social, labour market, legal and political that factors influence their operations and role? Analyse the extent to which the unions you have chosen are similar or different in fulfilling their key roles? Evaluate their prospects going forward and analyse the influences on these?

4. Research the changing nature of the labour market in the post war period until now. What do you consider to be the most significant changes and why? In answering this question take account of demographics, gender and migrant labour and also the significance of the restructuring of work due to flexible practices. How can these labour market shifts be explained and what are the implications for the balance of power between employers and employees?

5. Research the employee relations scenario in a national context other than the UK. Evaluate the extent to which the economic, political and social contexts influence the labour market and the actors within it. Critically analyse the roles of the State, Employees (and/or Trade Unions) and Employers and show how these influence the balance of power between employers and employees.

6. Research an organisation/sector/industry/ of your choosing to consider the employee relations implications of different management approaches (eg unitarist and pluralist; individualist and collectivist, and their variations). Critically evaluate the implications for both employees and employers in how they engage with each other. Analyse the implications for the balance of power between employers and employees. You can use examples to illustrate your points and draw on relevant employee relations theory.

7. Research an example of industrial conflict or a collective dispute. Critically evaluate the contextual (economic, social, political) factors leading up to it? What are the means by which each of the parties express their interests? Critically evaluate their relative sources of power and consider the ways in which the state frames their actions and consider the prospects for the parties (employers and employees) going forward?

Presentation Format

The assignment shall be submitted in the form of an extended essay with appropriate sub-headings.

Assignments shall be 4,500 words in length. Good referencing should be evident throughout.

In addressing your chosen topic please note the following assessment criteria

1. Demonstration of critical understanding of Employee Relations issues

2. Analysis of the roles of the state, employers and employees (and their trade unions) with regard to your identified topic as appropriate

3. Analysis of the balance of power between the actors (employees & their trade unions, employers and the state) as relevant to your topic

4. Integration of theory and practice (include examples of organizational or government policy and practice where relevant)

5. Effective written communication

6. Appropriate referencing to academic texts and journals

Submitting your work

Coursework submission dates are provided on your programme Canvas site. Deadlines are strictly adhered to. You must submit each assignment on, or before, 4pm on the submission date provided. Please note that a submission will be considered late even if it is only a few seconds after the published deadline.

eSubmission is the approved method for your HUBS programme of study. You must submit your assessed assignments to the relevant module Canvas site. Submission of a printed copy is NOT allowed. Please consult the eSubmission information on your programme Canvas site and work through the ‘Making an eSubmission Guide’ to familiarise yourself with the eSubmission process.

Due to the nature of the assessment of some modules, it may not be possible to hand in your coursework via eSubmission. Examples of where eSubmission would not be possible include;

Portfolios: which include data in formats that cannot be captured electronically.

Web-sites: with multiple files, of different types, that cannot be combined into a single document.

The above is not an exhaustive list and Module Leaders will explain any exceptions to eSubmission for their Module. Any coursework which cannot be submitted by eSubmission must be submitted prefaced by a properly completed paper copy of an eSubmission Coursework Coversheet and on or before the submission deadline.

Penalties for late submission and overlong assessments

Please be aware that the University has in place a standard system of penalties for work that is submitted late (after the submission deadline) and assignments that are overlong (in excess of the published word length). Please see the ‘Assessment procedures for written examinations and coursework’ section in your programme handbook for details.

Group work
There is no assessed group work in this module

Assessment results and feedback
You will receive feedback on your progress in the following ways:

· Discussions with your Module Leader

· Questions during lectures and tutorials

· Coursework feedback

Coursework feedback will be made available within four weeks of the assessment deadline and should allow you to identify how you can improve and develop your work for future assessments. We appreciate your patience and would like to reassure you that the four week timeline:

· Ensures that your work is read thoroughly and that constructive feedback is provided.

· Allows for second marking which is a quality assurance process whereby a member of the teaching team ensures the consistency and standards of first-marking

It is possible that some Module Leaders may provide feedback before the four week timeline depending on various factors including module size and teaching and research workloads.

Please see your programme Canvas site for a summary of all coursework feedback dates. You will be notified via your University email account when provisional grades (pending exam board approval) and feedback are available for collection together with details on how to access these. Please remember that written feedback is always going to be limited due to space constraints and the nature of it being ‘one way’. If you would like to speak to your Module Leader, to ask any questions or clarify anything, please email or visit during office hours.

Feedback on examinations is provided on a cohort basis on the module Canvas site within 1 week of students being able to access their results.

For further information on feedback and results please see your programme handbook which also includes a copy of the School’s Feedback on Assessment Policy.

ReadingLists@Hull
You can access the module reading list directly by searching by module name or module code on: http://readinglists.hull.ac.uk These materials are presented as ‘Suggested Purchases’, ‘Essential’, ‘Recommended’ and ‘Background’. Please see the ‘Learning resources’ section in your Programme Handbook for information on these definitions.

Core Texts

Either

Williams, S. (2017) Introducing Employment Relations: a critical approach (4rd edition), Oxford

or

Dibben, P., Klerck, G. & Wood, G. (2011) Employment Relations: A Critical and International Approach, CIPD